From fungus to noodles galore, this Chinese city has some of the country’s best (and spiciest!) eating.
China’s Sichuan Province is known around the world for its pungent and spicy cuisine. Thanks to the use of numbing huājiāo (Sichuan peppercorns), the region’s unique dishes have garnered popularity around the globe, even prompting UNESCO to designate Chengdu, the province’s capital, a city of gastronomy in 2011.
While Chengdu is famous for dishes like mapo tofu, the city of Chongqing, its southeastern neighbor, lays its claim to fame for hotpot. In this dish, a giant vat of swirling broth is loading with chili peppers and hot oil. Raw meat and vegetables are cooked in the simmering pot. Chongqing is easily the country’s hotpot capital, with an estimate of more than 30,000 restaurants dedicated to the dish, but the city has countless other dishes.